Off-Grid Living in Simsbury, Connecticut

I'll be straight with you: Simsbury, Connecticut is not a place where you can quietly park on a piece of raw land and start living off-grid. It's a fully zoned town, and I want to walk through what I found researching the town's own rules and the state and regional agencies that share authority here.

Zoning. The Simsbury Zoning Commission, acting under Chapter 124 of the Connecticut General Statutes, adopted zoning regulations way back in 1933 and still administers them today. The core rule is simple but strict: any principal use of land or structures that isn't expressly permitted in a given zoning district is prohibited there. So before you do anything with land in Simsbury, you need to know which district it sits in (R-40, I-1, PO, and others exist) and what's allowed. There's also a Simsbury Center Code and a Hartford-Simsbury Form-Based Code layered on top in certain areas.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I didn't find a Simsbury-specific ordinance spelling out rules for tiny homes or RVs as permanent residences. That means this is unconfirmed territory, and you'd need to call the Planning and Community Development Department directly to find out how they'd treat a non-traditional dwelling in your zone.

Building permits. The Building Department enforces the State Building Code plus local zoning, historic district rules, and an oil tank ordinance, among other things. Permits are required before new construction, alterations, or repairs, and depending on your project you may also need sign-off from Zoning, Wetlands, the Historic District Commission, Health, Sewer, Engineering, or the Fire Marshal.

Septic and wells. Here's something distinct to Simsbury: the town itself doesn't handle septic or well approvals. That job belongs to the Farmington Valley Health District (FVHD), a regional health authority covering Simsbury and nine neighboring towns, operating under the Connecticut Public Health Code. Septic systems, well testing, and things like a "Location Approval Packet" for new wells, additions, pools, or septic work all run through FVHD, not Town Hall. I found no confirmed rule on composting toilets, so ask FVHD directly.

Greywater. No Simsbury or FVHD-specific rule turned up in my research. This inherits the state's general uncertainty, so I'd treat it as unclear until you get a direct answer from FVHD or the Building Department.

Rainwater harvesting. I didn't find any town restriction beyond the State Building Code's general provisions, so this looks permitted in practice, though it's worth confirming your setup meets code if it ties into plumbing.

Utilities. Simsbury acknowledges plainly that not every property is on public sewer, and private septic systems are common, serviced by private companies and regulated by FVHD. Going off-grid on water and waste isn't banned, but any new dwelling still needs Building Department permits and FVHD well/septic approval before you can occupy it.

Bottom line: Simsbury layers town zoning and building enforcement on top of a regional health district's septic and well authority. Nothing here is a flat "no," but nothing is a free pass either, everything routes through a permit or approval process with a named office.